Personal Statement
Throughout my life, my curiosity about biology, living organisms and ecosystems and my love of writing have guided my professional choices. These interests led me to first train as a biologist, and then as a physician specializing in internal medicine, medical oncology, and hematology. For nearly 10 years, I worked at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). But over time, my long-standing and deep connection to nature, my growing interest in the increasingly complex environmental issues facing our planet, and my longing to spend more of my daily life outside, pulled me to environmental work.
Having grown up by the Atlantic Ocean, I was quickly drawn to water and watershed related work. For the past several years, I've helped develop and coordinate the GreenKids School Stream Science program for the Audubon Naturalist Society of the Mid-Atlantic States. Under this program, I've taken nearly 2,000 primary and secondary school students on field trips to their local streams, where they've conducted chemical testing, and habitat and macroinvertebrate surveys to better understand stream health. I've also been involved in starting up and staffing the National Capital Region Watershed Stewards Academy, a program aimed at training citizens and communities in stormwater issues and small scale low-impact development solutions. This program has already trained more than 60 Master Watershed Stewards in the Washington, DC area. As a physician, scientist, and biologist, understanding the complex problems and interrelationships between human health and the environment and how these can be solved intrigues me. As a writer, educator, and communicator, how to convey these issues to a wide array of audiences energizes me. In addition to my paid work, I've spent time over the past several years volunteering in both Florida and Belize on marine conservation work related to manatees. |
ServicesSpecific capacities include:
Available for both short-term and long-term projects and domestic and international travel. |